Grayson Mill Donated to the 2022 Christmas for Kids

Christmas needs. 2022 marked the organization’s 27th year in the Williston community and 259 children received gifts. 

In 1996, three founding members – Randy Parpart, Eldon Heller, and Darin Kirby – founded the organization to give back to the community during the winter.

“I wanted to give back to the community. I worked in the oil field,” Christmas for Kids President Randy Parpart said. “I started doing Williston Walleye tournaments and I helped with that for nine to ten years before two other members of that group and I decided that we wanted to continue after the Spring, Summer, and Fall and do something for the Winter. The three of us started Christmas for Kids.”

Parpart explained that Heller, before his death, made the suggestion to build up a “nest egg” just in case funding ever became difficult for the organization, and during the COVID-19 pandemic, the saved funds came in handy to ensure Christmas for Kids still happened.

He also explained that Christmas for Kids does not host any major fundraising events, but instead visits businesses to ask for donated funds.

Companies such as Ace Hardware have put on barbeques at their location, providing all the supplies for Christmas for Kids to cook and feed community members who stopped by to purchase a meal, with all proceeds benefiting Christmas for Kids. He also said that Applebee’s donated a percentage of their proceeds towards the organization.

“We help needy children in the community. Not just with toys; toys are secondary. These are needy children. We give them warm clothes, coats, snow pants, snow boots, gloves, hats, mittens,” Parpart said. “Clothing and then toys.”

The organization receives names of children from social services and other avenues and information on each child’s needs such as clothing, supplies, and fun things they may enjoy. A dedicated budget for each child is set to purchase items.

“Doing it for 27 years in the community, we have a lot of support from the community. This year the first responders including the North Dakota Highway Patrol did a toy drive. We got half of those toys. The Silent Syndicate Motorcycle Club did a huge toy drive, we got all that. Cummins donated 40 bicycles to us. A lot of individuals and businesses donated money,” Parpart said. “We watch how we spend our money. We don’t waste any money. We are 100% charity. Everything that the people give us goes to those children.”